


Dreamers

by Leprechaun123



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, F/M, Insomnia, Late Night Writing, Musician Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Writer Emma Swan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leprechaun123/pseuds/Leprechaun123
Summary: Prompt: There's this thing I've noticed that I can't seem to get over. It's not the dreamers who are asleep at night.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Kudos: 1





	Dreamers

**Author's Note:**

> I'm literally tiptoeing my way through this site so please be patient as I learn

Emma sat on the window seat in her small Boston apartment, her laptop perched precariously on her knees. Her fingers hovered over the keys while her gaze drifted off the screen, heading towards the only other yellow light that was visible in the pitch black of the night. The shadow in the window moved silently towards the baby piano just to the edge of the frame. The shadow turned to face the street and tilted up one level to look at Emma's window. The shaggy haired framed face gave a slight smirk and a nod towards her. Emma raised her chin in response. Whoever he was, he knew she was awake too even as the blinking red of her alarm clocks read 03:27. He turned away again as Emma watched, his back facing her as he positioned himself at the piano. She watched his head move along with his fingers as he began to stroke the keys. The crack in both her window and his allowed the soft strains of his latest piece to fly through the stillness of the night. As she listened, inspiration hit and she returned her attention to her laptop and began to type. Her ideas formed on the bright screen, fingers continuing to move until she finally succumbed to sleep with her head resting against the cold glass.

Silence once again, as the figure finished his practice, the last section finally perfected. As he got up to also fall into the deep holds of unconsciousness, just before the sun made its appearance for the day, his eyes caught the blonde stranger fast asleep. Just like him, she was up to make the most of the night. What better time to dream while the rest of the world's out of the way? "One day," he thought, "one day, our paths will cross." With that thought, he headed off to the dark unknown.

Emma woke to the sound of her phone ringing, her fingers fumbled under the blanket to find the source of the shrill noise. Finally succeeding in placing it, she glanced at the caller ID and groaned. She pressed the green button to stop the incessant sound.

"What, oh dear darling brother of mine?" she growled into the phone.

"Good morning to you too, Little Miss Sunshine!" David laughed down the phone "Did I wake you?"

"What do you think?" she asked.

"Well, you sound the same as normal so one can never be sure!" David replied. She could hear his smug grin though the speaker. She stood up from the window seat and manoeuvred her head around until her neck cracked. Walking into the kitchen, she flicked the switch on the coffee machine and hoped that the caffeine buzz would allow her to be able to deal with her brother.

"Okay, I'm hanging up now," Emma grunted.

"No, wait. I'm calling for a reason," David's panicked voice raised. "How goes the writing? Do you reckon you have anything for this season finale? Mary Margaret wants to know if she should accept the renewal or cancel the show! If there's nothing left to write, this show is going to end like _Heroes._ It's better to end on a high note than just decrease in ratings and burn out. We want the repeats!"

Emma stuck her brother on loud speaker and then busied herself making some coffee. After adding the appropriate amount of sugar, she took a first warming sip of the strong liquid. She leaned against the counter and waited for David to stop talking. Sensing a break, she interrupted.

"We? Or because MM wants them, you do too?"

"We, Miss Snarky"

"I can't be Little Miss Sunshine and Miss Snarky."

"That's not the point. Have you got anything?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe is not the answer I'm looking for!" Emma sighed at her brother's irate tone. She walked back to her laptop on the window seat, coffee cup clutched in one hand and her phone in the other. She threw the phone down beside it and opened the lid, the bright screen blinking to life. She looked at what she had written that morning and sighed.

"Yes… I have something," She responded.

"Good something?"

"Something. I'll email it across to you and you can tell me what you think. That work for you, Your Highness?" came Emma's snarky answer.

"Perfectly. Love you, sis."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm still deciding. Bye."

"Bye, kid," the phone clicked indicating the dead line. Emma stared at the words written on the screen.

"Well, it's something," Before she could second guess herself, she typed up the email. _Your request, your Grace._ And send.

Emma sat back down on the window-seat and sipped her coffee. She looked out the window. There was a bit more life at half eight than there was this morning.

The family across the way busied themselves in the kitchen. The bouncing dark-haired boys rushing around their father with untidy uniforms and messy hair. Their mother picks up her briefcase and hurriedly kisses her children and husband before shoving another bite of a half-eaten apple in her mouth while leaving the flat.

The young man below them bounces a crying baby girl in his arms while his small, blonde wife makes a bottle of formula.

The older lady three windows down, appears to be having an argument with her grand-daughter judging by the hand gestures to the girl's outfit. The girl is giving back all she's getting, her red-streaked hair flying around her shoulders as she gestures wildly.

Emma's laptop pings indicating a new email, pulling her from her people-watching. She reads the email from her brother. _Looks good. Interesting idea. MM agrees. Think I've an idea for who to collaborate with. Why a musical finale?_ Emma smirked. That's a first. No argument. She began to type a reply.

_Inspiration hits at a random time. Thought it might be a good plan and ends it with a bang. Do I get to meet this person?_ Send.

_Ping._

_Meeting Monday. You'll meet them then._

_How mysterious. Chat to you later._ Send.

Emma picked up her coffee cup and placed it in the sink. Time to sort out the rest of her day and wait until Monday to see her idea come to life.

The weekend flew past in a blur of activity and suddenly, it was Sunday. Whether it was nerves or excitement for tomorrow, Emma didn't know. What she did know was that she was awake at half two in the morning pacing her living room. She bounced from foot to foot as she wore tracks into her floor. Huffing, Emma threw herself down on the window seat. She grabbed her laptop and opened her emails. Her fingers hovered over her keys. "Who am I going to email at half two in the morning?" She frowned and closed the page again. She opened Netflix and searched for an old favourite. As the opening credits of " _The Princess Bride"_ rolled across her screen, her eyes moved from the screen and searched for the light that her subconscious knew was on across the street.

Unlike the last time, he was sitting on his window seat as well. The same way Emma had her laptop perched in her lap, there was a book balanced on his knees. It was almost as if he knew she was watching as his shaggy black hair lifted and his eyes met hers. She smiled slightly, embarrassed at being caught watching him. He smirked, his head bowing slightly in recognition. Emma tilted her head at his book and he raised it to show her the cover. Emma's eyebrows furrowed when she recognised the cover and turned her laptop screen around in response. The man's smirk turned into a full-blown grin when he saw the movie playing on her screen. Emma moved her screen to face her again and picked up her notebook sitting on the seat beside her. In large letters, she wrote "ENJOY. IT'S GREAT!" and spun it around to show him. He read it and moved to grab something behind him. He revealed his notebook a couple seconds later. "I KNOW. IT'S A FAVE". Emma grinned and pointed at herself before lifting two fingers. She then moved her attention to the film and got lost in the tale of Westley and Buttercup.

Across the darkened alley, two piercing blue eyes watched the blonde head bow to watch her laptop's screen. They watched as two hands picked up a worn blanket and tossed it over her legs, the laptop being repositioned as she propped herself up against the window. "A real-life Buttercup lived right beside me." He mused "Well, I still maintain we'll meet someday." He decided as his head bent back towards his novel; the backstory of Inigo pulling him into his imagination run movie.

Both bodies settled in for a sleepless night, unknowingly picking up the same story as the tale of Westley and Buttercup came to an end. They settled in the knowledge that despite the world being asleep around them, they had company in the unknown stranger a hundred metres away.

Monday morning came with a chirping of birds and a roar of traffic. The blinding sun woke both parties as it rose through the sky and broke the clouds. Emma stretched and reached out to check her phone for the time.

"Oh no. I have to be at the office in five minutes!" She jumped up from her seat without realising that the man across the way had done the same thing. She raced around her flat getting everything ready before bolting down the stairs and off to the office. 

She arrived at the office in record time and darted to the lift that was closing. "WAIT," she yelled. A hand reached out and halted the door's progress. "Thank you," she sighed as she noticed the lift button was already pressed for her floor. Her fingers flew over her phone as she typed out a message to inform David that she was there. She heard the clicking of keys that told her that her helper was texting too. With her message sent, she turned to her companion and said "Thank yo…" Her sentence trailed off as she recognised the shaggy, inky-black hair that was attached to the other occupant. She gasped. The head darted up.

"You," they cried in unison. The lift dinged and signaled their arrival. The doors opened on David's impatient face.

"There you are! Oh good, you've met Killian. Let's go," David spun and marched down the corridor leaving behind the shell-shocked people whose paths finally crossed.


End file.
